Tension-spring for eyeglass-mountings.



W. F. KEENAN. TENSION SPRING FOR EYEGLASS moummss.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, IBM.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

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BY Z @QZZM W ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

WILLIAM F. KEENAN, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 GEORGE J'. LOWRES, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.-

Application filed January 16, 1914. Serial No. 812,381.

marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The present invention relates,'generally, V to improvements 1n tenslon-sprmgs for eyeglass mountings; and, the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel construction of spring for placing under tension the nose-guards of an eye-glass mounting and the manipulating finger-pieces connected with said nose-guards."

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a novel construction of fiat spiral spring provided with a novel means for easily and quickly adjusting the spring in its relation to the eye-glass mounting and the nose-guards, without removing the spring from its assembledrelation with the parts of the eye-glass mounting and the noseguards, whereby the tension or spring-pressure upon the nose-guards may be regulated and adjusted to the desired degree, and thereby assure a proper and comfortable fit and pressure of the nose-guards upon the nose of the wearer of the eye-glasses.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention.

WVith the various objects in view,-the said invention consists, primarily, in the novel tension-spring hereinafter set forth; and, this invention consists furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the several parts of the spring, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification and thenfinallv embodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification;

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail perspective view of a and Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssection of the same, said section being taken on line H I in said Fig. 2. 7

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described vlews to indicate correspondingparts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference-character 1 indicates the bridge- 7 piece of an eye-glass mounting, the same terminating in the lens-embracing members 2, in which oneof the lenses 3 of the'eyeglasses is'secured. The end of the bridgepiece 1, adjacent to the lens-embracing members 2, is flattened out slightly to provide a supporting table or base l from which projects, vertically, a post 5,'preferably in the form of'a screw. Pivotally mounted upon said post 5 is a lever-arm 6, one end of which terminates in a suitable nose-guard or gripping element 7, and the other opposite end of said arm terminating in a suitable fingerpiece 8 for oscillating said lever arm and the nose-guard connected therewith, to spreadapart the oppositely facing nose-guards of the complete eye-glass mounting for the purpose of adjusting the same to the nose of the wearer, as will be understood, and'all of which is old and well known to those familiar with the construction and manufacture of eye-glass mountings.

The reference-character 9 indicates the complete novel adjustable tenslon-spring" made according to and embodying the principles of the present invention, the. same comprising a main spiral spring-body 10, the same being preferably fiat'in form, or in the form of a thin band or ribbon, and the convolutions of which lie one within another and in the same plane. outwardly from the outer end of said main spiral spring-body 10 is an anchor-arm 11, the free end of wh ch is formed into a .U-shaped or other suitably-shaped receiving portion as 12. Connected integrally with the mner end of said mam spiral Extending bracing member 2.

spring-body 10 is a helical-portion 13, the same providing a helix ascending above the plane of the main spiral spring-body 10, so as to be positioned above the said body, substantially in the manner illustrated. The said helical portion 13 is'preferably circular in cross section, and terminates in an outwardly extending anchor-arm let. The said novel adjustable tension-sprin thus constructed, is mounted upon the said post 5 of the eye-glass mounting, so as to extend around the same, and is preferably arranged so as to lie above the said. lever-arm 6 pivoted upon said post 5. 'The receiving portion 12 is then hooked over a portion of said lever arm 6, so that the latter is received therein. The anchorarm 14, whichextends outwardly from said helical portion 13, is now carried behind and bent around one of said lens-embracing members 2 of the eye-glass mounting, this operation placing the tension-spring under tension, so that it presses the lever-arm forwardly and thereby carries the nose-guard 7 into gripping relation with the nose of the wearer, the nose-guards being released from such relatlon by manipulating the fin er- Lece 8 so as to swin 'said lever-arm '6 in the opposite direction and against the tension of said tension sprin 1f the said tension spring, when thus mounted, does not,

provide enough tension or pressure upon the lever-arm 6, to firmly hold the nose-guard in its gripping relation with the nose, the tension of the spring may beeasily increased,

without in any Way disturbing the assembled,

relation of the same with the eye-glass mounting and its parts, by grasping the end of said anchor-arm 1a and pulling the same in an outward direction, without removing it from its engagement withthe lensem- This operation causes a contraction or tightening-up of the said helical-portion 13 of the spring, which contraction or tightening up effect is also transmitted by said, helical-portion 13 to the inner end of the main spiral spring body 10. Consequently, the said main spring-body is more tightly coiled, and thereby increasing the tension thereof, which results in an increased actuating pressure upon the said lever-arm 6, and consequently upon the nose-guard 7, as will be clearly evident. If, however,said tension-spri'ng is found to be too stifi; that is, to press too strongly upon the said leverarm' 6, so as to cause the. noseguard 7 to bind or grip too tightly upon the nose of the, wearer, to the latters discomfort, the pressure thereof may be relieved, by moving or pushing the anchor-arm inwardly. This operation causes an expansion or loosening up of the helical-portion 1 3 of the spring, which expanding or loosening up elfect is also transmitted by said helical-portion 13 to the inner end of the main spiral-body 10, consequently tending to move the said inner end of the latter in such a direction asto slightly loosen up the coils of said main spiral spring-body 10, and thereby reducing the tensionthereof, wh-ichresults in decreasarm 14 and the inner end of the main spiral spring-body 10, sinceany movement of said 1 anchor-arm in orout, which is a movement or force apphed and directed in a straight llne lswhen transmitted to said helical portion converted thereby into. aforce operat- I ing along the line of'its spiral.

Conse-- quently, when that force reaches'the inner end of said main spiral spring-body 10,.it does not tendmerely to push one convolution of said spiral spring-body 10 against. another, with llttle or noexpanding orcontracting efl'ect upon said convolutions; but,- belng appliedto the inner end of said main spiral spring-body 10, along lines corr-" spendingv to the directionor line: of its;

spiral-formation, a full and complete ex.-- pandmg or contractmgeffect may be secured to the most dellcate degree.

It will, therefore, be apparent thatu my novel construction of tension-spring may be so'manipulated as to'easily and quickly adjust its tension to any desired degree;

without disturbing itsassembled association with the eye-glass. mounting. and" the parts thereof; and, consequently, a wide:

and delicate range of adjustment and regu lation of the pressure of the nose-guardsof; the eyeglass mounting, as actuated by said springs, may be secured, so that a perfect and comfortable, fit of the eye-glasses: to

the wearers nose is assured,

I claim :7- 1. A nose-guard spring v s 110, for eye-glass mountings comprising a spiral spring-body;

of fiat or band-like form, the convolutions of which lie in the same plane, helical.

portion of circular, cross-section connected with the inner end of'said spiral spring? body and ascending out of the plane'ofthe latter, so as to he above the same, and-.out-

wardly extending portions projecting:-re-

spectively from-the outer end of said spiral.

spring-body and from-the outerend of:sa-id helicalportion, substantially asand for the;

purposes set forth.

2. A nose-guard springniountings comprising a spiral spring-body of flat or band-like form, the convoluti-ous of for eye-glass which lie in the same plane, a'helical portionw of circular cross-section connected with the inner end of said spiral-body and ascending out of the plane of the latter, so as, to =1ie above the same, an anchor-arm extending outwardly from the outer end of said spiral spring-body having a receiving-portion at its free end, and an anchor-arm extending outwardly from the outer end of said helical portion and adapted to be adjustably associated with a fixed point of anchorage.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day of January, 1914.

WILLIAM F. KEENAN.

Witnesses:

FREDK C. FRAEN'rzEL, FREDK H. W. FRAENTZEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing" the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

